Closed Fire in the Sky (Kovac)

[Iosha]

While she listened to Kovac finish his discussion on love, Iosha couldn't help herself from smiling when the Inarta told that he was jaded. She understood the man had a hard life especially when it came to relationships. In the short time, Iosha had been in Wind Reach. She had witness first hand the unfair singling out of the handsome half breed by his peers. She didn't quite understood societies problems with him, but he seemed content of keeping a low profile in the Inarta community. When he mentioned he didn't want the kind of love had with Kalle. Iosha eyes never left his face when he turned his eyes away from her. The konti didn't believe him for a tick, but she didn't want to press it because he seemed to be a man full of pride. She reached out and put a comforting hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. As Kovac got himself situated, Iosha looked around at their camp site, and she noticed it wasn't to far from the sandy beach, but it was slightly shaded by three large pine tree surrounding a decent sized grassy clearing. She noticed the campsite was used before because the fall tree by the beach seemed to be stripped of branches and bark, and bare trunk seemed to be littered with wood carving graffiti. Iosha couldn't understand any of it since the writing was in nari, but she couldn't help herself and laugh at the crude pictures drawn into the log. Suddenly, she felt a swift whack to her scaly behind, and she yelped out loud in shock. She whipped around, smacked him in the arm, and said with a half smirk, “What is your obsession with smacking my butt?!”

Iosha listened to him for a moment about her protecting him and sharing the tent, but she wrinkled her nose at her new nickname for her and shook her head, “White Wonder..urgg. Why don't we just stick to Sunshine, Kovac? I like it much better than White Wonder. It makes me sound like a...” Iosha thought about for a second and couldn't come up with anything, so she said said flatly with a shake of her head, “No...just don't call that...” Iosha nodded and agreement, but she decided to warn him about her odd sleeping behavior, “Yes, we should have enough room, but I got to warn you that I tend to move around alot when I sleep. I think I accidentally whacked my late girlfriend Ayume in the nose when we were asleep once. It was quite embarrassing, and since I gave her a bloody nose, it took me most of the day apologizing and making up to her.”

When Kovac grabbed her tent and offered to set it up, Iosha was about to protest, but he told her that she could go swimming in the ocean. Immediately, the young konti eyes brightened and a wide bright smile appeared on her face. Iosha hadn't swam in the ocean for eight years, and she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity if it was given to her. Deciding she needed to make him pay for whacking her in the butt earlier, she a impish smile appeared on her face with a idea. When Kovac picked up her tent bag, she waited for the perfect opportunity to reached and out hooked the waist of his bryda with her webbed fingers and pulled him close to her. She watched him for a moment to gauge his reaction, leaned forward press her chest onto his chest, and whispered in his ear, “Don't take too long with the tent, Kovi...” Pulling back from him with hint of amusement in her violet eyes, Iosha released his bryda, turned away from him, slipped off her white vanti, and flung it to the sand. She started to undo the strings bryda and slowly let them fall to the ground along with her undergarments. Completely naked now, she added extra sway to hips as she walked to the surf and dived into the blue water with a smile on her face.

[Kovac]

Kovac loved to tease Iosha. Maybe it was that her reactions always seemed naive and innocent, though the half-breed did not really believe she was either. Her latest reaction to his offenses met his expectations, an annoyance at his whack on the arse and a protest to his latest nickname. The Avora grinned widely, pleased with the Konti's resistance, an indication that he had got her proverbial goat.

"I swat your back side because it begs me to...just look at it!" The hunter taunted, gesturing to the swell of her rump. "And though you are rather white, and I find you to be quite a wonder, I will return to calling you Sunshine, my bright friend."
Kovac nodded an affirmation to his promise.

As far as the sleeping arrangements, and the potential danger of physical harm if they shared a tent, Kovac reached up to touch his nose. "It would be a shame to wake up with a bloody nose. Maybe we can just tie your hands together with bow string before we go to sleep!" He laughed again, jabbing yet another joke at his friend.

Kovac turned to start setting up the tent when his forward motion was halted by a tug on his waistband. Caught off guard, the man was swung around, finding himself face to face and extremely close to the platinum blond woman.

“Don't take too long with the tent, Kovi...”

The look in Iosha's dark violet eyes was something akin to what he had seen before, yet, edgier. The two of them had flirted since they met. Not the hardcore kind that he and Aidara had, trying to outdo each other in raunchiness, but a more playful fun kind that never threatened to go anywhere. But as he stood pressed against the Konti, hearing the taunt in her voice, the amusement in her eyes, Kovac was admittedly disarmed. Her teasing did not stop there, for she turned away and stripped completely right in front of him. It was a far cry from the shy woman who made him turn his head when she slipped into the water at the pool by the Yasi ranges when they first met.

His eyes wide, his mouth agape, Kovac watched the gorgeous Konti saunter down the sand towards the water. With a sudden snap to action, Kovac dug into the supplies, throwing up the tent in what had to be record time. He only slowed to glance out at the water to see Iosha enjoying her swim. Once the last stake was pounded into the ground, Kovac nearly jumped out of his boots, tugging off his bryda as he made his way towards the surf, shameless as a dog, until he too splashed into the water, nude as the daughter of Mura already playing in the waves.

"You, Sunshine, are full of surprises today!"

x

[Iosha]

As she jumped into the water, Iosha immediately remembered all the memories involving the salty water. Most of the memories involved her mother and Iosha spending time by either the beach or swimming in the ocean. Iosha spent most of her early childhood years either studying or spending her time by or in the ocean. It was a carefree time in her life with no heart break or sorrow. Iosha favorite memory was the time when little Iosha stepped onto a spine of a sea urchin, and her mother spent the whole day holding her throughout the day, but they still never left the beach. It wasn't the most glamorous memory of her time by the ocean, but she never felt as close to her mother as she did that day. Iosha glided under the water as graceful as seal, and she popped herself over the surface of the water to watch Kovac put up the tent. The Inarta seemed to be in quite a hurry and almost eager to get the tent up. The look on his face was a look of determination, and she couldn't help herself and giggled to herself as she dived down into the water. Iosha noticed she was in about twenty feet of water and the cold ocean was already teeming with life. She swam deeper into the water and saw a large flat fish swimming near the ocean floor and saw a few long legged crabs scuttling their way through the fine sand. The konti swam down to the floor, and she looked up and saw a few seals swimming above her. It was a marvelous sight to be in water this clear, and she could see the sunlight glancing on the surface of the water. Reluctantly, she figured she should reemerge at the surface to check on Kovac's process with the tent.

When Iosha reemerged at the surface, the konti started to tread water as she watched the man pound in the last stake into the ground. The konti could tell from her vantage point in the water that the canvas structure was crooked, so she might have to tell him later. The konti could tell the man was quite eager to go swimming with her, and he put up the tent in record time. Iosha started to float on her back as she waited for Kovac to shimmy out of his bryda. Iosha rolled around to get a better look at the excited nude man walking towards the water. The konti had to admit the archer was a impressive man, and the konti couldn't pull her eyes from his body as he made it the edge of the water. Iosha brushed her white hair from her face and called out to him, “Looking good Kovac! You should turn around, so I can get a better look at the back!” She started giggling to herself and once again she started floating on her back. Staring up at the cloud, she started to wonder if all days could like today. Iosha flipped on her belly, and she started to worry for his safety because they were both in deep water. Luckily the wind wasn't to bad, so the waves weren't too high.

"You, Sunshine, are full of surprises today!"

Feeling anxious for him, Iosha swam over to him. When she got closer, she swam up closer to him and brushed a piece of wet hair from her face. She gave the man a bright smile and said softly, “Life wouldn't exciting if there was a few surprises now and than.” She gave him worried look and said softly, “We are in about ten feet of water, so if you have any trouble swimming or get caught in a current call out to me, Kovi.” She reached out underwater, put her hands on his sides, and said with a laugh, “Also do you know tent is slightly crooked?” She loved to tease him in playful ways, but she never wanted to insult him with her teasing either. Iosha started to kick her legs slightly faster to keep them both buoyant. She gave him a crooked smile and asked, “When I was underwater, I saw a few large crabs on the floor, so I want to ask? Do you like crab because I can always attempt to catch one later if you want me too? The legs on them are quite long, so I know from catching crab in Mura. They are the best ones to eat since they have the most meat. I just might have to wrestle it.” Putting her hand back on his side, she gave him a wink that she was kidding. The konti reached up and brushed a piece of black hair from his eyes and said with a warm grin, “You know when I first met you that I stared into your eyes to catch a glimpse if they would change. For a moment, I thought a saw a speckle of blue and gold in them, but it could have been a trick of the light. However, I thought about longer the next day, and I started to think your eyes symbolized the best combination of the Inarta and Vantha people and the result was your emerald green eyes.” Iosha know it was a long winded compliment, but she knew the Inarta didn't think much of himself, and she wanted him to know what she thought of him even if it was long winded and poetic.

[Kovac]

Turning quickly so Iosha could get a glimpse of his backside, Kovac waded into the water, cringing slightly as the cold water of Storm Bay reached the bare skin of his groin. He began to swim out to meet Iosha, who had begun to work her way towards him. The Konti had gone a ways out, certainly where the water was over her head. It didn't seem to bother his friend, who languished in the gently undulating water with a sense of ease. She moved as if she were born to the water, and certainly, her pristine ivory body was designed for it, adorned with iridescent scales, gills and webbed hands and feet.

Kovac, on the other hand, managed to stay afloat, and not much more. He could get by in the small pools in Wind Reach, and even the lower lake, but the sea? It moved and you couldn't see the bottom. The Avora stopped, treading water until Iosha arrived. He could have felt a bit embarrassed, or offended, that Iosha was concerned about his ability to stay above the water, or that he might need her help. But he wasn't. The Konti was kind, and if she did not judge him for his promiscuity, she certainly would not fault him for poor swimming skills.

She surprised him again when he felt her small hands press against his side beneath the surface of the water, supporting him. It sent a tingle through his nerves. Any reaction he might have had was lost when the Konti commented on the architecture of their temporary dwelling. He looked back at the leaning tent. "The tent is fine, you are not holding your head right." Teasingly, he tilted his head dramatically to one side and laughed with her.

The offer of a crab dinner was mouth-watering. Such delicacies were reserved for the Endals. But Kovac did not want Iosha to endanger herself diving so deep, where who knew what was swimming about. "That would be delicious, but I don't want you to risk..." Kovac's words trailed away as one of Iosha's hands left his side to brush away stray hair from his face. The half-blood caught the violent glance of the Muran, holding it as she spoke about his own eyes. Her compliment was sweet, and as they both hovered in the water, limbs waving slowly to stay afloat, Kovac realized some things about Iosha. The indications may have always been there, just manifesting more fully as they had the opportunity to spend time alone together.

First, Iosha was not the innocent he had imaged her to be. She was sweet, that was certain, but the Konti had revealed a streak of racy playfulness that Kovac found very tempting and appealing. She was a subtle flirt, a refreshing difference from the more direct approach most Inartan women employed. Kovac was starting to believe Iosha knew all too well how to entice a man. The fact that she was a drop-dead gorgeous foreigner didn't help either.

Secondly, and the most moving, was the fact that Iosha was nurturing, especially towards him. She worried about Kovac, cared for him, watched out for him. No one had done that for him. The Konti seemed concerned with guarding not only his body, but his feelings. This was perhaps the most endearing thing about her. She was indeed a good friend.

Suddenly, Kovac leaned in closer to Iosha, his face very near to hers, his eyes not leaving her gaze. "Thank you Iosha, for everything." He spoke softly before pressing a light kiss to her lips. It was not a long kiss, but more than a peck, and Kovac retreated to flash her a smile. "So...what did you think of my butt?" He could not let the moment get too serious.

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[Iosha]

Silence hung between them for a moment as they stared into each others eyes. Iosha was about to advert her gaze, but Kovac lean forward and rewarded her compliment with a gentle kiss. When he pulled back, Iosha looked shyly at the water with a blush starting to show on her white cheeks. Looking up from the water, Kovac thank her for everything, and the konti look up at him and stayed silent accept for her a warm smile. After the kiss, Iosha was finding it hard to find things to talk about anything with him, but Kovac broke the silence with a absurd question about his butt. The konti had many fond opinions about the hunter's well muscular butt, but she decided to keep those opinions a secret for herself and maybe Alori. However, the absurdity of the question, and Kovac's uncanny ability to destroy any kind of intimate mood between them. Tossed the platinum blond for such a loop, the konti started to giggle for a about a chime or two. When the giggle fit finally died down, Iosha gave him a impish smile as she rested his arms his shoulders and asked playfully, “Kovac, do you want a one to ten rating system on your arse? Well lets see...” As she started to think about a decent answer to stroke the Avora's ego, the konti started run her finger tips of her right hand down his shoulders. Iosha bit her bottom lip and said with her voice turns into a trailed off, “How do you compare crevasses to valleys...” As Iosha pondered a answer to his query, she snaked her hand under his arm, fingertips trailing along his back. When her finger tips reach the top of his butt, the konti said with a innocent smile, “In my opinion, your butt is vary....pinch-able!”

With a squeal of delight, Iosha slipped out of his grasp and dived under the water. The konti swam by the helpless human, and she couldn't help herself and pinched him again in the other cheek as she swam to shallower water. As she swam through the water, she noticed a school of tiny silver fish, so she picked up her speed by kicking her legs faster in the water. When she swam into the school of fish, all he fish scattered at once causing a cluster of bubbles around her. When she reemerged from the water, she stood up in the water and noticed the water was up to the top of her shoulders. She pulled her wet hair from her eyes and yelled to Kovac,”I am over here, Kovi!” The konti started to flail her arm in his direction. Iosha turned his back to the Inarta for a moment and looked at the rush job on the tent. Iosha decided to take Kovac's advice and tilt her head to look at the tent. She was surprised that it did make a difference, so she giggled to herself and said loud enough for him to hear, “Maybe you are right about the tent, but if the tent falls down on us tonight, I am am going to be very cross with you in the morning.”

oocI changed the depth of the water from twenty feet to ten feet.

[Kovac]

Kovac had dispelled the moment of sincerity between them. Not that he didn't have feelings for Iosha, for he did, but the Avora was still not well equipped to handle sentimental moments. Something had passed between them, they both knew it, and that was enough for now. The hunter had turned the encounter to something he was more comfortable with, snarky comments and flirting. But the Konti was proving herself today to be more than Kovac had bargained for, and she turned the tables on her half-bred friends. The gentle touch of her hands on his shoulders, the penetrating violet eyes, held his attention closely, a shiver running up his spine as her fingers trailed down towards his arse. The pinch surprised Kovac, and he yelped, then ooohed, then laughed.

Like a playful dolphin, the Konti disappeared beneath the water, assaulting his butt agian with a well-placed pinch. The Avora swung around, unable to track the aquatic woman. His eyes scanned the surface, finally hearing Iosha yelling for him. Turning, Kovac saw her a ways off waving to him.

He began to swim awkwardly towards Iosha, hearing her sarcastic comment about the tent. Coming up next to her, Kovac stood by her, both looking at the tent. "I will fix the tent, smart ass. Depends on what happens tonight, you may be cross with me in the morning anyway!" Kovac laughed, not elaborating, poking a finger in the firm cheek of the Konti's butt beneath the water's surface. "We really do have a thing for butts, don't we?" He flashed the pale woman a smile.

He began to trudge back out of the water, his backside bared to Iosha again as he walked back up to the beach. Kovac did not dress just yet, allowing the sun to dry his skin first. He showed no shame in front of Iosha, inside still hoping to embarrass her a bit, though the Konti had seemed immune to her previous shyness around the Avora hunter. Tugging at the ropes of the tent to tighten them, the poles straightened and Kovac secured the lines taut so they would keep the tent standing. Then he pulled his bryda back on.

"Lets try to shoot a few fish and cook a meal." The alleged hunting trip had turned into more of a mini-vacation for the two friends. Truth be told, it was Kovac's plan all along.

x

[Iosha]

Crossing her arms over her breasts, Iosha giggled to herself when he called her a smart-ass. It was true of course, but hearing it from him made it enduring in a weird sort of way. The konti raised her eyebrow at his “threat” and said bluntly with smile on her face, “Your not making any sense, Kovi.” Suddenly, she felt his finger poke her in the nearest butt cheek. Iosha jumped slightly, whirled around, and splashed the playful Inarta. Still rubbing her behind, Iosha smirked at him and said with a grin, “I can't help it. I am sucker for a pretty face or behind!” Iosha followed Kovac out of the water, and she two decided to air dry in the hot sun. Unlike a few seasons ago, the konti had picked up on some of the norms of the Inarta people. Especially when it came to public nudity since she had to learn bath with other people. Also, Iosha respected and trusted Kovac, so she didn't mind being naked around him anymore. As she walked back to camp, she picked up the articles of clothing that she left on the ground and said to him, “Yes, I think we should. It going to be a long night if we are sitting here with empty bellies.” Iosha walked over to the log, leaned up against it, and started to watch a pair of seagulls drifting over the shoreline. The konti violet eyes were lost in thought as her mind started to drift to the face if her daughter, and her grandmother's new letter telling her to come to Lhavit, so they could discuss the situation about N'osha.”

When Iosha was finished air drying, she slipped into the clothing and walked over to inspect the tent. The konti started to rub her chin as she circled the cloth structure. Iosha started to inspect the poles, the tension on the rope, and the stakes in the dirt. When she was finished, she turned back to Kovac and simply stated, “It will do.” For a chime, the konti tried to maintain a emotionless composure, but she couldn't keep it up for long when he looked at her, and she started to laugh, “OK. I think I am done teasing you now.” Iosha walked over to her equipment, picked up her short bow and quiver, and started to secure the quiver to her back. When she was finished, she smiled at her friend and said with a smile, “Do you know a good place to shoot fish? This is my first time to the beach, so I am not sure a good place to go fishing.” As Iosha stood there waiting for him to grab his gear, her mind started to drift back to the letter again. She started to wonder if her grandmother was keeping a eye on her when she left Mura. Could she known about her pregnancy before she left Mura? It was all possible being a child of Avalis, but whatever the reason for her grandmother knowing about N'osha, she knew that she needed to leave Wind Reach to find the answers. Standing there in silence, Iosha curled a white lock around her fingers as she plotted out her next move.

[Kovac]

The Avora hunter watched his Konti companion dress with appreciation for the curious nature of her body, as well as its curves, before gathering his own bow and digging out the special barb-tipped arrow used for fishing. From a small pocket on the quiver, Kovac also pulled a length of light, twisted line.

"Come on, over here." He gestured to an outcropping of rock that rose out of the sand and jutted into the surf down the beach a short way. "There should be a good place to start."

The playfulness that had arisen since arriving at the beach was enjoyed by the half-vanthan. Kovac felt strangely comfortable around Iosha. Though they teased and taunted and flirted, there was no tension, sexual or otherwise. They were truly friends, and if anything ever did happen between them (Kovac would certainly not turn her down), it would be within the comfort of that friendship.

Konti and mongrel stalked through the sand to the fishing spot. The rocks formed several tidal pools and small inlets where fish gathered to feed on the smaller creatures that thrived in such places. Kovac climbed up onto the rocks, leaning over as he picked his way along, looking for a good spot. "Here." He exclaimed, pointing to a large almost circular cut in the rock were the sea water gathered. The tide was up, creating an open channel to the sea. When the tide dropped, all the sealife that found its way to the tidal pool would be trapped.

Kovac crouched down, taking the line and securing it to the arrow in a special groove around the shaft. The other was tied to the bow just above the grip. Standing again, the hunter nocked the arrow to the bowstring and readied it to shoot. Then he watched the salty water for a target. Tiny fish darted below the clear surface and a starfish creeped along the sandy bottom. Then a large silver fish shot through the school of smaller ones. The Avora lined the barbed arrowhead up with the lazily swimming fish, guessing its course and adjusting for its speed. Drawing back the string and holding his breath, Kovac waited a tick, then released. The arrow streaked into the water, but then surfaced again, floating on the top, fishless.

"Huh." Kovac huffed, looking over at Iosha with a small grin. The cool wind had taken her just-dried platinum hair and lifted it from her shoulders, some strands blowing across her alabaster face. "Guess I should compensate for the stiff sea breeze too!"

x

[Iosha]

Still lost in thought, Iosha was jarred from her inner thoughts by the sound of Kovac's voice. When he motioned to a rock outcropping, Iosha smiled at her friend and walked besides him as they made their way to the shoreline. When she leaves Wind Reach in the Fall, Kovac would be the one person that she would miss the most. However, Iosha knew that her friend would understand her reason once she told him the whole situation. Walking up besides him, she smiled over at him and said softly, “I am glad your taking me bow fishing, Kovac because if it were left to me to catch supper, we would be eating rations tonight.” When she got to the rocks, the konti noticed the series of tidal pools and inlets winding through the rock formation. The konti walked to the edge of the rock, looked into the water, and noticed the tidal pools were teeming with aquatic life. As she watched the water, she noticed pool was filled with varieties of plant life, fish, shell fish, and occasional seal. The konti smiled over at Kovac and said simply, “I learned how to swim in a tidal pool when I was a little girl. My fondest memories was me tormenting the sea life when I was little girl. Lets just say sand crabs don't like being flipped over on their backs.”

When they got to Kovac's fishing location, Iosha walked up to rock, placed her hand on the ledge, and pulled herself up onto the outcropping. She walked over to where Kovac was standing, and she looked down into the clear pool and noticed a school of tiny fish in the clear water. Iosha watched Kovac tie the fishing line to the notch on the shaft of the arrow. When he was ready to fire, Iosha reached back and pulled out her own barbed fishing arrow from her quiver. She took one piece of the fishing line to the notch on the shaft of the arrow, and she tied the other end of the fishing line to the shaft of the bow right above the hand grip. The konti looked at his set up one last time to make sure her set up was correct. Iosha waited for him to shot since she wasn't sure if they should be shooting at the same time. When Kovac missed his fish, Iosha gave him a smirk and said with a laugh, “Sure blame the wind, Kovi...”

Iosha walked up to the edge of the outcropping and placed the barbed arrow on bowstring. The noticed Kovac's elusive silver fish trending water right below her. Holding the short bow in left hand, Iosha got into her stance with her left foot out and right foot back. She placed the shaft of the arrow on top of her fingers, pulled back the the bow string to her cheek, and aligned the tip of her arrow with the back of the fish. Since Iosha needed to shot into the water, she had to adjust her balance as she leaned over the edge to get a better shot at the fish. Feeling the muscles in her arms start to ache from holding the position, Iosha did a last minute adjustment to her aim, took a deep breath, and released on the exhale. The Konti watched the barbed arrow streak towards the unsuspecting fish, but at the last minute, the arrow veered to the left and vanished with a splash in the water. When the arrow reemerged to the surface with no fish, Iosha muttered out loud to herself in common, “Petching wind...” Iosha looked at the water and noticed the fish causally swam away a few feet away from her floating arrow. The konti looked at Kovac and said angrily, “I think the fish is mocking us. Now we need to each him out of spite!"

[Kovac]

Kovac flashed Iosha a flat face when the Konti taunted him. It was a lame excuse. But as she took a shot at the fish, she too failed, citing the same pesky wind as the culprit. This time, the Avora shot his friends a wide smile. "Oh...we are eating that bastard!" Kovac quipped.

Setting the fishing arrow to the string again, Kovac scanned the water for the elusive fish. Sunlight caught the silver scales again, and the hunter tracked the creatures course with the barbed arrow as he carefully drew back the taut string. With a snap, Kovac released and the arrow pierced the water surface. A tick later, it appeared, the floating shaft skewering the large wriggling fish. Kovac drew it in buy the string, his smile beaming at his Konti friend. "And there you have it!?"

Pulling the fish free of the arrow, Kovac laid it securly on the rocks. It was a plump catch, and promised good eating. "Now, you get one." He challenged. The statuesque light-skinned Konti stood on the rock, bow in hand. The half-breed remembered the first night the met. He took Iosha to the Yasi ranged to help her practice shooting. It seemed long ago, when she was shy, or at least pretended to be, and she scared the Hai out of him as they skinny dipped, when her Reimancy failed and exploded a fish.

"Remember to lead them a bit. Its harder than aiming at a land animal, since they can basically turn on a miza in any direction." The expert archer advised.

x